


Hiccups

by orphan_account



Category: Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Humor, Hiccups, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:21:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22491478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: for the prompt: post-book or at-some-point-au in the book, Gatsby plans to meet up with Nick and he never shows. He goes to his cottage and finds him exhausted, embarrassed and miserable.also known as that one where someone said on a discord: I bet nick's the type of person who gets really embarrassed at his own hiccups
Relationships: Nick Carraway/Jay Gatsby
Comments: 3
Kudos: 215





	Hiccups

“Old sport?” Jay called, knocking on the door to Nick’s cottage for a third time. Worry was beginning to set in now- they had planned to go to Coney Island this Saturday for several weeks, only for twelve noon to roll around and for Nick to have seemingly forgotten.

On a bold impulse, he tried the door and frowned to find it unlocked, the hallway beyond dark. “Old sport?” he repeated, concerned that this was tantamount to breaking in. Somewhere down the hall, there was a muffled sound and he felt his way along the walls towards it. There was another quiet noise that Jay couldn’t quite pin down, followed by the creak of rusty old springs as he turned a corner and found himself in what must have been the living room, with a couch upholstered in dark fabric and Nick lying full-length on top of it with his head buried in the cushions. “Nick!” he exclaimed, hurrying forward. He shook him by the shoulder and his body jolted out of his light doze. Much to Jay’s relief, he looked fine. Tired, perhaps, but otherwise in perfect health.

So why, then, had he not turned up like they agreed?

“Jay?” his eyes took a moment to focus and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. “What are you doing h- _hic!_ ” Jay took a step back, startled, and Nick’s hand flew to his mouth, cheeks going red with embarrassment. His chest jolted silently before he said “Excuse m- _hiccup!_ ” he clamped his hand back into place.

Jay didn't think he’d ever seen a man look so mortified. And all this over... “Hiccups, old sport?” he inquired politely, taking a seat on the couch cushion that had been vacated now the other man was sitting up. “I was just wandering where you’d got to.”

From this side angle, he could see how his chest jumped out and his stomach sucked in with every spasm. The comment, if anything, just served to make him look even more embarrassed. “ _Hmnk!_ Oh, Jay, I'm so s- _hup!_ I’m sorry I didn’t- _hic!-_ that I d- didn't come- _huckup!_ Excuse me.” Another hiccup cut off the end of his sentence, audible even with his mouth closed. Jay couldn’t claim to be any sort of expert, but he was certain this was the worst case of hiccups he had ever seen in his life. And the loudest.

Another hiccup, followed by a groan.

He nodded understandingly, “Don’t worry about it, old sport- there’s always next Saturday.”

“Still...”

Jay waved him off- he’d been to Coney Island so often he’d lost count, anyway. He waited for the next _hic!_ and then said, “You seem to have a bad case of the hiccups, old sport.”

Nick groaned and flopped back down to lie in his previous position, seemingly uncaring that this left his legs strewn over Jay’s lap. “I’m ex- _hic-cup!-_ exhausted.”

Jay looked around for the first time since entering the room and spotted an empty glass on the coffee table. “That bad, really?”

He nodded, face obscured by the cushions. “ _Hup!_ Woke up with- _huck!_ \- with them at f­- _hic-cup!_ \- at two and I- _hulp!_ \- well, h-here we are.”

Patting his ankle in what he hoped was a comforting manner, he tried to do the math in his head, “Fourteen hours, old sport?”

The only response was a sharp _huck!_

Jay winced.

Nick shifted and caught sight of his face and tried to smile, though it was more akin to a grimace. “I supp- _hick!-_ I suppose I ate- _hic!_ \- something that d-disagre- _hup!_ \- disagreed with me. _Hic!_ I’m fine- _hulp!-_ honestly, Jay, it’s just- _hmnk!_ \- it’s just the hic- _hic!_ \- just the hiccups.” He smiled wider and then was caught off guard with a loud _Huckulp! Hup!_ That made his body jolt rather impressively and his face flamed red again as he put his hand over his mouth. “Excuse me,” he said. “ _Hic!_ ”

“Stop apologising, old sport.” He tried to school his expression into one as kind as possible. “ _I_ know you can’t help it.”

Nick frowned, “It’s- _hulp!-_ it’s impolite. _Hic-culp!_ Excuse me.”

He rolled his eyes as he went back to hiding his face in the sofa cushions, though inside he was feeling a queer mix of guilt and affection for his shy, awkward Nick who no doubt had been too embarrassed to come, too embarrassed to call and then embarrassed at his own rudeness; now Jay was here anyway and he was embarrassed by his own hiccups. “Is there anything I can do?”

It was a stupid question when all his friend wanted was- “Make them stop- _hic!_ ”

He patted his calf, unused to feeling helpless, “Well, old sport, what have you tried?”

“ _Hic!_ The only cure- _hip!-_ the only cure that I know is- _huck!-_ is water. _Hmnk!_ ”

“How about holding your breath?”

He twisted round to look at him again, “Does- _hic!_ \- does that work?”

Jay nodded, unable to hold back a smile at the look of hope dawning on his friend’s face. “For as long as you can, old sport.”

Pausing to let the next _hiccup!_ Pass, Nick sucked in air until his cheeks puffed out and he held it with his eyes shut tight. Jay counted the seconds ticking off on the clock, watching as Nick’s chest jumped with hiccups less and less frequent. Out of sight, he crossed his fingers.

_Thirty nine, forty, forty one, forty two, forty three, forty four forty five, forty six, forty seven, forty eight_

Nick breathed out. Jay held his own breath.

“I think- _hic!_ \- No. T- _hulp!-_ excuse me.” The disappointment on his face was so great that he didn't even have the heart to chide him for apologising again. “ _Huck!_ Eugh, just suff- _hic!_ \- suffocate me, Jay, pleas- _hic!_ ” he pulled a throw cushion over his head and groaned until it was interrupted by the umpteenth hiccup.

“That’s a tad dramatic, old sport, no? Besides, who would go to Coney Island with me then?”

“You’d find- _hic-cup!_ \- find someone. All those p- _hulk!_ \- parties, someone will- _hic!_ \- someone will- _hup!_ \- someone will come along.”

“No one quite like you, though, Nick.”

“No one who’d hic- _hic!_ \- who would- _huck!_ \- hiccup like a drown- _hiccup!_ \- ing cat, either,” he observing wryly.

Jay laughed, “I was refraining from commenting, old sport.”

“ _Huckup!_ You thought it though- _hic!_ Now _shush_ , it- _hmnk!_ \- it’ll work this time I’m- _hic!_ \- sure of it.”

He watched as Nick screwed his eyes shut and drew in another long breath. This time, he was sure he only hiccupped once as he counted down the seconds again.

_Fifty one, fifty two, fifty three, fifty four, fifty five, fifty six, fifty seven, fifty eight, fifty nine, sixty._

Nick breathed out.

He let another five seconds go by. “Did it-“

“ _Hicculp!_ ”

Both of them wilted. “I’m sorry, old sport.”

“What for?” it didn't escape his notice that Nick was trying to conceal how his hand was clutching his stomach at this point and grimacing at every hiccup.

“I hate to see you miserable.”

“It’s just the hiccups, Jay- _huck!_ It’s not li- _hic!_ \- it’s not as if it’s- _hiccup!_ \- serio- _hicculp!_ \- serious.” Except this time, he didn't try to twist round and look him in the eye, so Jay doubted that very much. Carefully, he put a hand on the small of his back and felt him jolt. “ _Hmnk!_ Excuse me.”

Tutting, he reached over and pulled the cushion away from his face, “Why don’t you try going upstairs and having a lie down, old sport?”

“ _Hic!_ I can’t sleep,” he actually pouted, though the effect was ruined when he had to cover his mouth the hide a loud _hic-ah!_

In any other situation, Jay would have found him downright adorable. “Perhaps the change in position will help,” he cajoled. “You can stretch out flat- I’m sure I read somewhere that can help.” The last part was a bold-faced lie, added on because Nick’s expression still harboured doubts.

“ _Fine_.” With as much dignity as he could muster, given the circumstances, he stood and started shuffling towards the door.

With great care, Jay stood up as well but out of his line of sight, waited until he was on the other side of the coffee table and then leant forward and shouted “Boo!” in his ear.

Nick startled like a cat and yelped, “What- _hic!_ \- Jay, what on Earth- _hmnk!_ ”

Jay swore, “They say shock is meant to be a cure.”

This time, the hiccup only added to Nick’s unimpressed look. “You br- _huck!_ \- you bruised my elbow.”

“My sincerest apologies, old sport.”

“ _Hmph_. _Hic-cup!_ Any more cures I- _hulp!_ \- I should know about? _Hic-culp_!”

“None that I can think of.” The feeling of helplessness was horrid and he didn't like it one bit. Nick’s face fell. _Huck-up! Hulp!_ The look on his face was too much. _Hiccup!_ “Why don’t we try some more water, old sport?” he put an arm round his shoulder and led him down the hall towards the kitchen. “It certainly won’t hurt.” Behind them, the clock chimed five ‘o’ clock. _Fifteen hours_ Jay thought grimly. Nick hiccupped on cue. Jay winced.

He blamed the time it took him to find a glass on the excuse he had never been in Nick’s kitchen before.

Nick took the glass of water carefully, “Thank y- _hup!_ Excuse me.”

Jay kept his hand on Nick’s bare arm and nodded reassuringly at the glass, “Just drink that as fast as you can, old sport.”

He frowned. “I- _hic!_ \- I thought- _hicculp!_ \- I thought that hiccups were- _hic!_ \- caused b-by drinking t- _hulp!_ \- too fast?”

He couldn’t help but grin as he held up his hands in mock surrender, “Who are we to argue with medical science, old sport?”

With a dirty look, he began to drink.

If he’d been a different man, Jay perhaps would have prayed.

It took far less time to down a glass of water than it did to hold his breath and soon he slammed the glass down on the table and breathed in, meeting his gaze with wide eyes of his own.

_Three, four, five, six, seven._

Nick started to smile. _Eight. Nine_. “Jay!” he exclaimed. He felt his spirits rising. “I think it really- _hulp!_ Oh. _Huck-up!”_

His heart sank.

For a brief second, he feared Nick might start to cry; instead he just rested his elbows on his knees and buried his head in his hands. He didn't look up when Jay said his name,

Eventually, he stood and moved to sit in the chair besides his- he looked so dejected he had no choice _but_ to put a consoling hand on his back.

“ _Hic!_ I’m sorry.”

“What ever for?”

“I ruined- _hiccup!_ \- ruined your day out- _hulp!_ You should just- _hic!_ \- you should just le- _huck!-_ just leave- _huck-up!_ ” He gave up whatever else he had wanted to say and sank a little lower in his chair. _Hic!_

Not even an apology this time. They were in dire straits, if Nick Carraway was forgetting his manners. He hiccupped again and he felt the jolt under his palm and heard the soft little pained sound he made afterwards. “Nick?”

“Make it- _hup!_ \- stop!” he begged.

An idea was beginning to worm its way into Jay’s mind- a stupid, crazy idea that would no doubt ruin their friendship, but... it had taken a while but Jay had finally come to the conclusion there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for Nick. _Hic!_ The whimper decided it. “Old sport? Look here, old sport- _Nick_ , look at me, please? I might have an idea.”

 _Hic-ah!_ The minute he lifted his head, Jay kissed him. Deeply. He felt him hiccup and try to pull away but he only used it as a mean to pull him even closer, until they were chest to chest and kissing because they wanted to be kissing and for no other reason and ending only when they absolutely had to.

When it ended, Nick was agape and his eyes were sparkling. “They’ve stopped,” he murmured. “God, Jay, you’re amazing. I want to kiss you as many times as I’ve just hiccupped.”

Jay felt himself actually blush, “I didn't do it just because of that.”

“I know” and as if by magic they were kissing again.

When it was over, Nick rested his forehead on his, mirthful, and Jay let himself marvel as he wrapped his arms round the man’s waist and over his now-still ribcage. “Now I am very tired and I want to go to bed and I want you in the bed with me.”

For the first time in his life, Jay was speechless. Nick laughed and led him up the stairs.


End file.
